The Locket
by Ferrero
Summary: Max hasn't seen Fang for 4 years since he got abducted by the School, and all he left for her was a golden heart-shaped locket on a chain. One day, when she was walking down a street, she saw something in an alley that she wanted to check out... FAX
1. Goodbye

Max P.O.V.

**A/N Sorry that I haven't been posting any stories lately, ****kinda**** got to settle some stuff**** to settle****cause****in 2008**** I'm going to a new school.**** I'm posting this ****cuz****' I know I haven't written any stories lately. If this story isn't as good as it's expected to be (and the expectation would probably be low), still send me a review! I love reviews!**

**The Locket**

The kids ripped the wrapping papers off five of their first real Christmas presents with gigantic smiles on their faces. Against my better judgment, I gave Iggy a bomb making kit, so long as he uses it for good.

We had finally settled down in a real home, had our first real Christmas together. The kids were excited, not having to get up early and be on the run every day.

I snuck a brief smile to myself and turned to the four presents on the couch beside me. One from Iggy, another from the Gasman, a pink (bleah) one from Nudge, and finally, Angel's.

Fang didn't get me a present.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Fang.

"Hey," I said, looking up, but having a hard time since my heart was almost breaking. He didn't get me a present.

"Meet me in my room in…ten minutes," Fang told me. With that, he left the living room as I stared after him.

Ten minutes later, I knocked on his door. "Fang, it's Max."

"Come in." I opened the door and was greeted by a gloomy Goth-style room. Fang was sitting on his bed and he waved to me, flashing me one of his rare smiles. He patted an area of his black bedspread beside him.

I felt myself grin in return and sat beside him, seeing a flash of gold around his neck, but I just brushed it off. Must be me. Fang NEVER wears blings.

He handed me a box in black wrapping paper with my name written in silver on it. Typical Fang. "You didn't think I forgot about you, did you?"

He glanced mysteriously at me, the smile still playing on his face.

I received the present with two trembling hands. I picked at the present carefully…

CRASH!

Smoke filled the room together with a strangled cry.

Slowly, the smoke cleared and all that was left was a blasted wall and a dent on Fang's bed beside me.

Oh no.

Fang!

Where'd he go?

_Max, listen, they brought Fang back to the School!_ Oh great, the voice/dad was back.

**What d****o you mean? I thought we destroyed the School, ****Itex****, and the Institute!**** But whatever, I need to get Fang back**** now**** I'll go gather the flock.**

_You did__ destroy the School __and __etcetera,__b__ut you let the director live, and now she's rebuilding the School.__ You can't go ge__t him. It's a __trap,__ they're trying to lure all of you in._

**Oh great.**

Maybe Fang will escape, just maybe, I thought with a sinking heart.

Slowly, I pried open the present, eyes downcast. I flipped open the cover of the box inside and gasped.

Lying there, on a medium sized cushion in the box, was a golden heart-shaped locket on a gold chain. Tears swelled up in my eyes as I opened the locket and read what was engraved on one half of it.

'_I love you, Max_'

And I might never be able to thank him for the present at all. And we weren't even together yet.

My chin dropped to my chest as I took a photo the size of my thumbnail from my pocket. I eyed the photo longingly, as a smiling me gave the bunny ears to Fang who scowled sourly back.

I slipped the photo into the other half of the locket and closed it.

I put the chain on and hugged my knees. That night, I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

Four Years Later

"Ah, New York, the one place we needn't bother to blend in." Gazzy exclaimed loudly, not even attracting a single turning head.

That's a nice change.

Two years ago, Iggy bombed the School with a bomb he made with his brand new bomb kit, and Fang…he got blasted with the School. Angel tried to reach to him after Iggy accidentally dropped a bomb, to tell him to get out quick, but she couldn't find him in time and…well, you know the rest.

I can't say it, it hurts. Even after two years.

All of us missed him. Angel didn't even bother reading our minds for a month. Nudge wouldn't talk for two months, and Iggy and Gazzy never conspired to build bombs for three.

"Max, can we go to that restaurant over there? I've heard it's really good. They serve really spicy black pepper chicken, and their sour plum juice is very sour, sweet is like—." Nudge the bullet train. Sheesh, that girl can't shut her mouth for one minute, can she?

"Okay, Nudge, you win. Lead the way."

"I knew it!" She punched her fist into the air.

"Follow me guys," she gestured for us to follow her.

-----------------------------------------

Half an hour later, we settled down in the restaurant at an extra large table.

"Listen up," I whispered, leaning forward, indicating them to do the same. They all inched forward.

"Don't order too much. Eat a normal meal, later we'll go to another restaurant to eat, everybody clear?" I shuddered remembering the time when we had gone to this fancy restaurant of Gazzy's choice and had to fly out through the glass roof.

A chorus of "yeahs" and "yups" sounded around me.

I added, "And if two restaurant isn't enough, we'll go to another." Nudge and Gazzy high-fived. Their appetite was terrible. They scoff down an average human sized serving in five minutes, and finished eating three of that in fifteen, maybe even twelve.

A waiter walked up to us. "What would you like to eat?"

The kids and Iggy placed their orders. My appetite felt small today, so I just ordered one large lamb chop and be done with it. I couldn't wait to get out of here, but then I'll be ruining Nudge and Gazzy's meal (or one third of it).

I sighed.

"Guys, I'll be going out for a walk. See you in a while. If my food gets cold, make it a takeaway." I tossed my Max Ride card to Iggy without looking at him. And he, a blind guy who wasn't even facing me, caught it with one hand and said, "Got it."

"If you really have problems contacting me with a phone, use Angel. She'll help."

With that, I left the restaurant with four very bewildered bird kids in my midst. Faintly, I heard, "This IS the Max Ride card and not some phony, right?"

Idiot Iggy, I thought, frustrated. He could feel the risen letters on the card and yet he sill asked. I slowly massaged my temples and glanced back at the restaurant that I had just left as a gentle breeze toyed with my untied hair playfully, almost as if it were teasing me.

Sighing, I navigated my way through empty drink cans, discarded food wrappers, unwanted adverts, and crumpled leaves, all while managing to stay on the sidewalk; a feat that I have accomplished and am proud to say that Iggy could have done the same without any problems.

Slowly, my road led me to a dark alley to my right and a bus stop to my left.

Suddenly, a flurry of movement alerted me that there was someone around. Automatically, as if by some instinct, I did a three-sixty scan of my surroundings. The shuffling sound came again.

"Who's there?"

Then a flash of gold caught my eye. I whipped my head in that direction, where that particular flash contrasted drastically with the filthy alley. I stared at the spot where I last saw the golden reflection of the sun, but even my superb eyes couldn't make out anything.

It was as if I were sucked into a parallel dimension where light and darkness didn't exist. Without light, you can't see, but that would be darkness. Without darkness, you won't be able to identify things that stand out against it, which are lights. Let's just put it simply. I was danged confused.

I did see a flash of gold, but when I directed my gaze toward it, it was gone in the blink of an eye.

Growing curious, I said, "Hello?"

Then a growl emitted from the dark alley.

* * *

**A/N Ha! I'm being evil. ****Cliffy for ****ya**


	2. He's back

Max P.O.V.

**A/N I'm back! I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not… Sorry for not updating this story for so long. I'm kinda busy enjoying my one week holiday.**

**Those who have reviewed before, please review again! I'd like to see if I have improved!**

**The Locket**

_I did see a flash of gold, but when I directed my gaze toward it, it was gone in the blink of an eye._

_Growing curious, I said, "Hello?"_

_Then a growl emitted from the dark alley._

I heard a shuffling sound and barely caught sight of someone wearing all black, because he blended with the alley perfectly. I got into defense mode with my I'm-going-into-a-fight stance. I guess old habits do die hard.

A boy in black emerged from the shadows, his long, unkempt black hair hanging on both sides of his head. It was glossed with what looked like oil, and I could practically see the head lice jumping about.

He looked about my age and normally, I wouldn't describe him as a boy but a man, but his state of negligence deterred me from doing so.

He blinked in the sun for a while, squinting while his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light intensity. Then he glared at me. "What do you want?"

"Me? I wasn't doing anything?"

His black T-shirt was torn at the bottom and the hems had come out. He looked like he hadn't had a proper bath in years. His face was smeared with layers and layers of mud, sand, dirt, oil, filth, and many other disgusting stuff that I don't want to mention.

The air all around them became tense as the boy said snidely, "Then you wouldn't be staring at me like—what's that around your neck?"

"This?" I asked, fingering the locket Fang gave me four years ago protectively. I clasped the locket between my palms instinctively. "I…"

"You stole it, didn't you?" he pointed a finger at me.

"What?" I shouted. "You don't know me and now you're accusing me of a crime I didn't commit? Let me tell you this. I did not steal it!"

"Yes you did!" he shouted hoarsely, turning the heads of many passer-bys.

"Come on, do I look like a thief to you?" I was furious at being called a thief. During the span of my whole miserable life, I have never been dubbed a thief before.

"Yes," he sneered, shortly.

"Which aspect of me appeals to people's eyes as a thief?"

"Everything. Especially that gold chain on your neck."

I saw red.

I swung my leg towards his face in an uppercut and delivered a strong blow aimed for his nose. After that, he wouldn't dare mess with me.

Except that he countered my moves with his own, nullifying them. I stared, bewildered. Was he a boxer? He didn't look like it. He was skinny and looked like he had been starved for days, weeks even. But how did he get the strength?

His sudden speech made me lose my thoughts. "I've fought worse."

Surprised, I barely managed a sneer of my own at that comment. "Me too."

Abandoning all rational sides of my brain and fighting like the two percent bird I was for my rights, we circled around each other.

Suddenly, I felt a hard impact to my right ear.

The boy before me just returned to his circling position gracefully. Growling, I punched his stomach, a blow that would probably cause a permanent black out to others, but the greasy haired guy just lurched a little and calmly pushed my fist away from his mid torso.

"You seem a pretty good fighter yourself."

"I've fought worse." I quoted, before smirking and launching into full attack mode, crouching low. In a blink of an eye, my left foot was swung in a full semi-circle at knee level, throwing the boy off his feet and into the air. I was startled when he landed without sprawling across the pavement as most erasers (or flyboys, for the matter) would when I did that to them.

But what shocked me the most was the fact that he had landed on the balls of both feet, bent as forward as possible with an arm held out to prevent his nose from being squashed to pulp. He pushed himself up.

My trump card was utterly defeated.

The boy smirked. "My turn."

His foot was raised to the height of my nose and he swung it across. I bent my back backward, smiling as I said, "That all you got?"

"Not even close," he said, and faster than my eyes could catch, the same foot appeared behind me and connected with my bent back, hitting my spine squarely.

Before my hand could extend to break my fall, the boy had grabbed them both and pinned them to my back, kneeing them to accelerate my fall. I wasn't keen on kissing the ground, but he was stronger than I was and I came down with a grunt amidst a cloud of grime and dust.

When I opened my eyes which had closed instinctively, I saw a crowd before me (and him) consisting of kids, teens, adults, and even a few elderly. They were staring at us as if we were gangsters and our fight was some kind of free entertainment for them, which, come to think of it, it was.

As the boy released his hold on me, I flipped him over and growled into his face, my locket dangling just above his eyes. Faintly, I heard the female population watching the catfight cheering, while some, for weird reasons, pitied the boy. It's not like he was good looking or anything.

When he saw the locket, his fuming face reappeared and his claims that I was a thief resurfaced.

"Where'd you steal that from?" He demanded, making a wild grab for my locket. The crowd grew silent.

"I didn't steal it!" I said hotly, indignation oozing out from every single pore in my body. "It was a present from my adopted sibling whom I love more than just at a platonic level but he still doesn't know and I highly doubt he will!" That adopted sibling part was a complete lie.

By then, my emotions had taken complete control of me and I was shaking like a leaf, tears trickling down my cheeks silently. I could feel the crowd staring at me.

"I customized that locket! There is only two of that in the whole world, and only the one I love has the right to wear it! No one else is allowed to! Certainly not a thief like you!" the boy shouted for the whole world to hear, rage apparent on his angular features.

"I have proof it belongs to me and—" I stopped in mid sentence and realization coursed through my veins. I looked up at the dirty boy in shock.

"Fang?" I asked, jaw hanging for all to see.

"How'd you know my name?"

"Fang! Don't you remember me?"

"Who are you? I demand that you return the necklace at once!"

"You've…forgotten everything already? Fang! It's only been four years! You have to remember me!"

"Ma—Max?"

That was all I needed to fall onto him, crying as I leant on the boy, no, man, that had provided me with a sense of safety and comfort for the past few years of my life.

I clung onto him tightly, as if my life depended on him, which, come to think of it, it does. After four years, the only reason I hadn't given a thought about suicide was because the kids needed a mother figure to look up to. Well, as motherly as their sister could get.

Those four years were a nightmare. Every night, I couldn't sleep without crying to myself or trashing about in my bed due to bad dreams, all about that fateful day when the School (or was it Itex?) stole him away from me.

Fang was as still as ever, upholding his reputation as aloof and stoic (and somehow sadistic at times); Mr. Triple-Cs. His poker face gave way to a shocked expression, looking at my pathetic state.

Slowly, his dirty hands came around my waist, hugging me back. I buried my face in his shirt, which I was sure held lethal amounts of grime, dirt, germs, and other harmful substances, but I didn't care. I had finally found him.

Four years of lonely nights and bottled up feelings were released into the air, disappearing into a cloud of flying dust and evaporated tears.

"Fang…" I uttered silently, looking up into the moist onyx eyes I thought had disappeared into oblivion years ago, my own brimming with tears.

He was at least a half a head taller than me now, and it made me feel small. Suddenly, Fang cried. He tucked my head into the crook of his neck with one hand while the other rested on the small of my back. I could feel his hot breath gently thawing my frozen brain as it was blown onto my hair.

Fang smelt like dirt, but just his presence was more than I could have asked for so I left that point alone. I buried my face deep into his chest, inhaling his stale but unique scent, when my forehead made contact with something cold.

I raised my head and hesitantly extended a hand towards it. Pulling it out, I saw that it was an exact replica of my locket. Opening it, I saw a picture of both Fang and I in one half of the heart.

While all these happened, Fang was still looking at me, probably trying to memorize my features, holding me tightly as if afraid that I would disappear and be taken from him by a passing wind.

I glanced at his locket, and then at the guy himself. "Fang…"

"That was what kept me sane for the two years in the School, and the other two wandering the streets," Fang whispered into my ear.

Then slowly, he placed a finger under my chin and tilted my head up to face him. Then he placed a soft and gentle kiss on my slightly parted lips, capturing them perfectly. Taking advantage of the gap, he slipped his tongue in without permission, but I was happy to comply anyway.

We must have been quite a sight, two people of different genders in their late teens who had fought at first suddenly start hugging and kissing. I would have scoffed at it if it was a scene from a sappy romance film, but this was real life.

The crowd had dispersed when we released each other from the embrace. My eyes were closed and my breathing was heavy as we parted. I rested my forehead against his chest again and whispered. "I'm going back."

I suddenly opened my eyes just a fraction and lifted my head to meet Fang's black and mysterious orbs, where emotions which I had just unlocked were floating freely.

"I'm going with you."

The sun blazed hotly above our heads as I smiled and whispered, "I know. I love you."

He entwined his fingers with mine, "I love you too."

Slowly, we set of down the streets with me leading the way back to the restaurant.

**A/N Whee! It's done! How's this chapter? Is it better than the previous? As for how Fang broke out of the School, I'll leave it to your imagination, though personally, I'd say, "Refer to the excuse in my story 'Fly by Night', chapter 4."**

**This is the first time I'm recognizing anybody's reviews, so I hope you'll just read it! (Am I being a little too optimistic?)**

**Organic Banana: I hope this pace is to your taste! Thanks for that constructive criticism anyway!**

**To every other person who has reviewed: THANK YOU! I almost wanted to discontinue this story (due to my lazy nature) but when I saw the reviews that flooded my inbox just after a day, I just couldn't! Thank you all!**


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